The Chetco River in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Photo by Lee Webb, U.S. Forest Service.

Plans for a huge gold mining operation has put the Chetco River in Southern Oregon on this year’s “Most Endangered Rivers” list.

What’s at stake is a river praised for it’s wild salmon and steelhead, and needed for supplying clean drinking water for the town of Brookings.

The threat comes from a Washington state real estate developer who’s filed for a permit to operate suction dredges on 24-miles of the Chetco. All of those miles fall within the area of the Chetco that’s been designated a Wild and Scenic River. Six of those miles are in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.

The environmental group, American Rivers, put the Chetco as number seven on its 2010 “Most Endangered Rivers” list. It highlights rivers that face serious problems – and a major decision that could change the outcome.

In the case of the Chetco, American Rivers and several Southern Oregon groups want the Interior and Agriculture departments to withdraw the river from entry under the 1872 Mining Act. They hope that will give Congress time to pass a law to permanently protect the Chetco.

“It’s hard to believe a law passed in 1872 can still be used to hold a priceless wild river and its abundant salmon hostage. We need to use 21st century knowledge to protect our natural resources. The Chetco River should be protected for its fish, rather than degraded for the short-term profit of a Seattle-based developer.”

-Lesley Adams, Rogue Riverkeeper

Meanwhile, DEQ is writing new regulations for gold mining in Oregon’s rivers. It would force gold miners to use smaller dredging machines than they can now use. It also tightens standards for water turbidity in several wilderness areas. That would include the portion of the Chetco River in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness area. DEQ is taking comments until June 8 and hopes to finish work on the rules by the end of the month.

The mine is located about ten miles south of Cottage Grove. EPA has documents thousands of cubic yards of tailings and soil that’s been contaminated by mercury and arsenic. Some of it has been carried by streams and rivers into the Cottage Grove reservoir where things have gotten so bad that health officials say it’s a good idea not to each the fish there.

The Black Butte Mine was in operation for almost 80-years, starting in the 1890′s until it closed around 1970. An article in the Eugene Register-Guard says that during peak times, it could produce 100 tons of ore daily.

After the mine closed, it was sold to investors who wanted to log the land. It’s been a timber operation since about 1975.

The EPA got involved in 2007 after state officials asked the agency to do some clean up work at the site. EPA found a 300,000 cubic yard pile of tailings, more tailings spread through Furnace Creek, and high concentrations of mercury and arsenic in stream beds downstream from the site.

Oregon’s Health Department says women who could become pregnant, children under age 6, and people with kidney and liver problems shouldn’t eat fish from the Cottage Grove reservoir. Everyone else shouldn’t eat the fish more than twice a month.

It’s become a big issue for the area, partly because of rising gold prices, partly because of California’s new ban on suction dredge mining. That method is still legal in Oregon and the concern is that California miners will bring their operations north of the border.

In a letter written to Senator Merkley, the business group makes two points.

First, it thanks him for his support for a moratorium on mining in the Siskiyou Wild Rivers. Members of Oregon’s congressional delegation, as well as Governor Kulongoski, want the feds to reinstate a Clinton-era mining ban for the area that was overturned in 2001 by President Bush.

Sean Stevens of Oregon Wild says since the ban was lifted, more than 1,000 new mining claims have been filed.

But beyond the ban, the business group also is asking for Merkley’s support of S-796, a major reform of mining laws that have seen few changes since 1872.

The businesses say mining damages the environment by creating new roads, tearing down old trees, leaching chemicals in streams, increasing erosion and destroying salmon habitat.

Most of the businesses in the group are outdoor recreation companies, so they have economic reasons, too. The letter says, “In order for our businesses to thrive, we depend upon our customer’s ability to safely hike, camp, paddle, bike, ski, snowshoe, climb, hunt, and fish on our public lands, in the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area.”  The letter also cites studies showing that recreation on the Rogue River was worth $30 million in 2007, and that salmon and steelhead runs generate about $1.5 billion in economic activity.

S-796 went before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in July of last year. But since then there’s been no action on the bill. Senator Wyden is one of the co-sponsors.

The Coos Bay World newspaper says the homeowners presented evidence that levels of hexavalent chromium are increasing in some nearby wells.  The wells are owned by Oregon Resources Corp., the same company that wants to conduct the mining.

The article notes there’s some disagreement over the health threat posed by the chemicals.  But homeowners are worried that mining will make things worse.